A New Beginning
by TheCaptainandThePostulant
Summary: It's Maria and Georg's wedding day and the two of them know that the day symbolises a new beginning for the two of them. Maria is becoming a wife, a stepmother and a Baroness and Georg is becoming a husband for the second time. Does this long-awaited day go along without a hitch? Find out here! (I wished to see more of M & G's big day in the film, hence why I chose to write this!)


**Author's Note: Hello all and thank you for coming to check out my new one shot! I just thought that I would let you know that I haven't included the wedding ceremony in this fic purely because I'm not the best at writing about wedding ceremonies. So, when I was writing this, the ceremony was exactly the same as in the film. I hope that that's all right!**

**P.S: I know that a lot of you have been asking me to update "Time Will Tell" and I promise you that I will update it soon, I'm just struggling to decide whether or not to set the next chapter a couple of months ahead or if it would be too big of a time jump. Once I get that sorted out, it should be easier to write the chapter and get the ball rolling again. Until then, however, I hope that you like this one shot and happy reading :)**

* * *

Maria smiled to herself as she ran her thumb over the words that were written on the front of the envelope in her hand.

_My beautiful bride._

It had been more than a week since she had last seen Georg and she had missed him far more than she had anticipated. The last nine days had dragged and being unable to see, touch or kiss him for so long had been nothing short of torture for her. She knew that she would be walking down the aisle towards him in just two hours, however, and that after that the two of them would have the freedom to do all those things and more. The thought made her heart race in her chest.

Once she had looked at the envelope and tried to imagine what her fiancé had written in his letter for a moment longer she turned the envelope over and opened it. She then took out the paper, unfolded it and started to read Georg's words.

_My darling,_

_I can't even begin to tell you how impatient I am._

_It's three o'clock in the morning, but I've been awake all night thinking about how incredible today is going to be. I still can't believe that I'm going to be making you mine in just a matter of hours. The thought of waiting for you at the top of those steps, the thought of seeing how radiant you look and the thought of watching you walk down the aisle to me makes me smile like a damn fool. _

_I gather you're feeling nervous about walking down the aisle this morning and, if you are, I want you to be aware that I understand. This is something that you never believed would happen. You never believed that you would leave the convent and sisters behind – you thought that you would spent the rest of your life there with them. You never believed that you would become a Baroness, a wife and mother all in one day – you thought that you were going to be a nun._

_You're bound to feel overwhelmed because your life has taken a completely different turn._

_There is no doubt in my mind though, my love, that this is the path your life was meant to take and that you're going to make me so proud of you. You've spent so much time learning about what's going to be expected of you when you're the Baroness, so I know that you're ready. As for being the mother to our children, they've viewed you as their mother for weeks. You're going to be fine, I promise you that and you are never going to be without my support._

_Speaking of the children…how on earth do you keep up with the seven of them? I had Gretl and Marta wanting me to do arts and crafts with them yesterday morning, then I had Louisa wanting me to help her with her math homework and then I had all of them asking me to play catch with them in the garden until dinner was announced. I felt worn out after saying goodnight to the seven of them, so I haven't the first idea of how you manage to do it day in and day out._

_I think the only people who have missed you as much as I have over the last couple of days are Marta and Gretl. The two of them made me swear to them that I'll never let you leave again once we're married. I promised them that I'm not going to be letting you out of my sight once you're back here and I meant that. We've had far too much time apart._

_I hope you realise just how much I love you._

_You might be "the girl from the mountains" to other people, but you mean the world to me. You saved me from the pit of despair that I had fallen into and you mended my relationship with the children before it became too late to do so. I'll be forever in your debt for that, Maria, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything that you've done._

_When this letter reaches you, I hope that it makes you smile._

_I don't want there to be a moment today where there's anything but a smile on your face._

_This day belongs to you and I can't wait to spoil you later on and tell everyone just how incredible you are._

_I'll see you soon, my sweet._

_All my love,_

_Georg._

With a trembling sigh and tears of happiness dancing down her cheeks, Maria folded up the piece of paper and eased it back into the envelope. Whatever she had been expecting Georg to write in the letter it hadn't been anything as perfect as that. The words that he had used had been so beautiful and knowing, after being told so by sister Berthe, that he had driven to the convent at dawn to deliver it made her love for him deepen. He was the most darling man she'd ever met.

She couldn't wait to thank him for the letter once the wedding was over.

She couldn't wait to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him for the first time in days.

Most of all, now more than ever, she just couldn't wait to be his.

* * *

The gentlest of smiles graced her features when Georg opened the motor-car door and offered her his hand once Franz had driven them back to the villa after the wedding. 'Baroness?' He raised his brow at her with a smirk before she slid her hand into his and giggled as he helped her to step out of the car. She then waited for a second while he gathered up her veil and removed it from the car before he shut the door again and Franz began to drive back around to the garage.

Once Georg had straightened out her veil once again and allowed it to lie on the gravel he rested his hand on her waist and pulled her close. 'I've missed you so much…' She whispered while lifting one hand to his chest and allowing him to lean his forehead against hers. 'I snuck out the other afternoon and went up to the mountains to see if it would serve as somewhat of a distraction, but I just began to think about all the times we escaped up there during our engagement.'

The two of them laughed together before she sighed in satisfaction when he began to graze the bridge of her nose with the tip of his own and she looked up into his eyes. 'I never want us to be apart for so long again, Georg.' She told him.

He pulled back from her a little then before cradling her face in his hands underneath her veil and brushing his thumbs across her cheeks. After a couple of seconds, he brought her face closer to his before lowering his head and grazing her lips with his own. The kiss was soft, chaste and over in seconds but he didn't miss the sigh of relief that his bride gave when the kiss broke. 'We aren't going to be,' He shook his head at her. 'We're stuck with each other now, I'm afraid.'

'Mmm…' She hummed while lacing her arms around his waist. 'Being stuck with you forever sounds quite…_perfect.'_

'It does, rather, doesn't it?' He smirked before moving his hand to the side of her neck. 'Come here…'

She allowed him to use his thumb beneath her chin to ease her head back before he pressed his lips back to hers again, her hold around his middle tightening while she stepped further into him so that their chests touched. The two of them exchanged gentle kisses for a time, mere brushes of their lips, but when Georg ran his tongue across her bottom lip she smiled before parting her lips beneath his and letting him deepen their kiss. 'My darling…' He mumbled. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.' She replied while grasping the back of his jacket in her hands.

The two of them decided to stop talking then and make the most of their precious time alone, Georg running his thumb alone his bride's jawline while she clung to him and returned his soft, passionate kisses. Far sooner than either of them would have liked, the urge to catch their breath came along and made them bring their kiss to an end. 'Well, that made all of that waiting worth it…' Georg whispered after leaning his forehead against Maria's and taking hold of her waist.

'I agree.' She smiled at him.

'Shall we go inside now? I don't think I can wait much longer to show you off.' He teased.

She couldn't help but giggle in response. 'In a moment. I want to talk to you about that letter you wrote this morning.'

'Ah, yes, the letter.' He nodded.

'It was the loveliest, most beautiful letter I've ever received,' She admitted. 'It was also a nice surprise to wake up to.'

Georg eased her veil out of her face. 'I meant all that I said in it, you know.'

'I know you did and I can't tell you how much I love you for saying those things.' She said.

He looked at her for a second then before pressing his lips to her forehead in a languid kiss. 'I'm never letting you go.'

'Good,' She revelled in the sensation of his lips brushing her skin. 'Because I don't want you to.'

When he peeled back from her again he gazed into her eyes, took her hand in his and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

'Come on, Baroness von Trapp,' He pressed one more kiss to her lips. 'It's time for us to show our faces.'

She allowed him to guide her across the gravel and over to the front door before he stopped and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before pushing open the door. The two of them were met with a round of applause as soon as they entered the house and, in the space of a moment, Gretl had run up the stairs and wrapped both of her arms around Maria's middle. 'You look so beautiful, mother!' The five-year-old smiled when she tilted her head back on her stepmother's stomach.

'Thank you, sweetheart,' Maria ran the back of her free hand down her little girl's cheek. 'You look beautiful too!'

Gretl clung onto the back of her mother's dress. 'You were away for such a long time, mother, I missed you so much.'

'I know I was,' Maria released her husband's hand in order to crouch down to their daughter's level and take her waist in her hands. 'But I'm home now and once your father and I have been on our honeymoon I'll never be leaving again.'

'Promise?' Gretl raised her brow at her.

'I promise,' Maria nodded before smiling when Gretl wrapped her arms around her neck. 'I promise.'

* * *

'…So thank you, Max, for being the best – if not the most overbearing – chaperone Maria and I could have asked for,' Georg smirked before lifting his champagne flute to his best man and friend, the guests chuckling when Max lifted his glass of port in response before taking a sip. 'There's one more person who I'd like to give thanks to tonight and that's the beautiful woman who made all of this possible. Maria, darling, come here,' He gazed over at her and saw the blush that had bloomed in her cheeks before he proffered his hand to her and she got up from their table to walk over to him.

Once she had reached him he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close before pressing a kiss to the side of her head. He then looked into her eyes and brushed his thumb against her hip through her dress with a deep sigh. 'There is so much that I could stand here and thank you for. I could stand here and thank you for coming into my life, for loving our children from the second you met them and for helping me to see the light after I'd lived shrouded in darkness for years after Agathe died. What I want to thank you most for, though, is agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me.'

The smile that crossed Maria's lips and the sparkle in her eyes made his heart swell with the love he possessed for her. 'I'm not perfect. I'm _far_ from perfect,' He chuckled while giving her a squeeze. 'But I love you and I promise that I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make you the happiest woman on earth. You deserve the world, sweetheart, and I intend to give you that. Now, ladies and gentlemen,' He turned to their guests with a smile. 'I ask you to lift your glasses to my beautiful bride who, I am sure, is going to make the most wonderful Baroness. To Baroness von Trapp.'

'To Baroness von Trapp!' Their guests and children echoed.

Georg turned back to his wife for a moment while everyone sat down again and couldn't help but smile. 'I love you.'

'I love you too,' She reassured him before rising up onto her tiptoes to brush a languid kiss against his lips. 'So much.'

He smoothed a hand over her cropped hair then before turning his head in Friedrich's direction with a nod and a smile. Their eldest son, at his signal, got up from the table that he was sitting at and walked over to them before accepting the champagne flute from his father and returning to his brothers and sisters. 'Now, you,' Georg slid his hand into Maria's and took a step closer to her before giving the conductor of the band in the corner of the hall a nod. 'We never finished our dance at Elsa's party in the summer and I'm rather determined to do so now. What do you say? Will you join me?'

'I'd be delighted…' She smirked before the conductor began to strike up the band.

Once he had bowed and she had curtsied, the two of them moved through the steps of the Laendler with ease and gave one another a smile whenever their eyes met. It was so much easier for her to dance now that she had removed her veil and it was no longer falling into her face and irritating her. 'Baroness von Trapp, I have to admit that you are quite the dance partner…' Georg whispered to her once the two of them were in each other's arms again and their dance moved towards its end. 'Tell me, do you recall how the Laendler is supposed to end? Or has it slipped your mind once again?'

'I…I'm afraid you might have to refresh my memory,' She sucked on her bottom lip while turning around with him as he held one hand behind her back and the other high above their heads. 'It's been quite some time since I last did this.'

He released both of her hands and cupped her face in his once the band had finished playing and their dance had come to its end, the two of them sharing a smile just seconds before he lowered his lips to hers. The guests and their children applauded them while he kissed her, but it was as though the two of them were in their own little bubble and so neither of them paid much attention. Once Georg had brushed one last kiss against her lips he pulled back, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs while he waited for her eyes to open again. 'Remember now?' He smirked with a kiss to her forehead.

'Oh, yes,' She breathed. 'I _definitely _remember now…'

* * *

She couldn't keep the smile off of her lips as she watched her husband have a slow-dance with Liesl a short time later. The two of them had been talking for quite some time now and it filled her heart with happiness whenever she saw her eldest daughter laugh at something her father said. Watching the two of them dance together, one would find it hard to believe that their relationship had once been strained. Then again, one would find it hard to believe that there had been a rift between him and all seven of their children. He adored them all now and the seven of them adored him in return.

The sound of footsteps approaching prompted her to turn her head and she felt her heart swell at the sight of her eldest son walking over to her. Friedrich sat down on the chair beside her once he had reached her table before kissing her on the cheek. 'It's weird,' He laughed after the two of them had sat together in comfortable silence for a few minutes. 'To think that there was a time when I and the others didn't want you around and played tricks on you to try and make you leave. I'm so glad that you didn't let us drive you out, mother, because if you'd given in nothing would have changed.'

'I still left you all without even saying goodbye…' She sighed.

He took one of her hands in his and gave it a squeeze. 'You came back to us in the end, though, and that's what's most important. If you hadn't had come back, then father would have married Baroness Schraeder and she loathed all of us.'

'Oh, Friedrich, you shouldn't exaggerate…' She told him.

'I'm not exaggerating,' He shook his head. 'She was going to send us all to boarding school, Brigitta heard her say it.'

She frowned. 'She…she was?'

'Yes,' He nodded. 'She didn't love us one bit, mother, and even if she did she could never love us as much as you do.'

She smiled. 'I love the seven of you more than I could ever hope to tell you.'

'We love you too,' He reassured her before turning and watching the dancing for a second. 'Would you like to dance?'

There was a smile on his mother's lips when he looked at her again. 'I would love to dance with you.' She said to him.

Friedrich got up from his seat before waiting for his mother to do the same so that he could walk into the middle of the great hall with her. He stopped walking when the two of them were a short distance from Georg and Liesl and he gave his father a small smile when he looked at him before taking his mother's waist in his hands. Once she had slipped her arms around his neck he started to sway from side-to-side with her and felt his love for her deepen when she gave him a smile of pride. 'Will you help Liesl to take care of the little ones until your father and I come home?' She asked him.

'Of course I will,' He said. 'Father said he trusts the two of us more than he trusts uncle Max.'

She couldn't help but giggle. 'He might have a point. You might have to keep a watchful eye on Max as well.'

'He keeps talking about the music festival that's supposed to take place next month.' He told her.

She glanced at her husband for a moment before looking back at him. 'If he knows what's good for him he'll give up.'

'Mother, when has uncle Max ever allowed father to keep him from doing something?' He smirked.

She shrugged before leaning in to press a kiss onto his forehead. 'You've grown up so much and I'm so proud of you.'

'I'm man of the house while you and father are in Paris,' He reminded her. 'I need to be grown up.'

'True, but I mean in general,' She sighed. 'Since I first met you, you've gone from being a boy to being a young man.'

He smiled. 'I have?'

'Yes,' She ran a hand over his hair. 'And I feel so proud to be able to call myself your mother.'

'Thank you, mother, that means a lot to me.' There was nothing but happiness and pride in his eyes.

Once the two of them had danced together for a little while longer, Georg walked over to the two of them and placed a hand on Friedrich's shoulder. 'Might I cut in?' He asked before his son nodded and moved to one side so that he could take over. He held Maria close after resting his hands on her waist and allowing her to lace both arms around his neck, his thumbs tracing the curve of her sides through her dress while he gazed into her eyes and swayed leisurely with her. 'How about we bring the festivities to an end soon?' He suggested. 'We have two little ones who are rather worn out.'

'That sounds like a good idea to me,' She teased the hairs at the nape of his neck with her fingers. 'It's quite late now.'

He leaned in to brush a kiss against her temple. 'Come to think of it, you're looking exhausted yourself…'

'I'm not tired at all.' She shook her head.

He hummed. 'Your eyes are telling me otherwise.'

'All right,' She huffed. 'I am a little tired, but…but tonight's supposed to be our wedding night.'

'So?' His tone was loving. 'There's not a rule-book that says a marriage _must _be consummated on the wedding night.'

She sighed in response while looking at his chest.

'Maria,' He hooked his finger beneath her chin and lifted her gaze back to his. 'I don't care if we make love tonight or not. That's not what I married you for, sweetheart, and it's not all I've been thinking about since we said our vows this morning. Trust me, after not having permission to see you for the last week-or-so all I want to do is lie next to you and hold you,' He revelled in the gentle smile that she gave him. 'The decision is yours, darling. What do you want to do?'

She thought for a moment. 'I think I…I'd just like to cuddle tonight. If that's all right with you.'

'Of course it's all right with me,' He leaned his forehead against hers. 'We have two months in Paris for other things.'

She grazed his nose with hers. 'I don't deserve you…'

'Rubbish,' He replied without missing a beat. 'You deserve the world and so much more.'

'I _have_ the world,' She pressed a kiss onto his lips before looking into his eyes. 'You and our children are my world.'

He couldn't help but smile at that while pulling her flush against him.

'And you're ours, Maria,' He promised her. 'You always have been…'

* * *

He ran his fingertips along the length of her exposed arm while she slept without a care in the world later that evening, his touch soft and soothing lest he wake her. She looked so gorgeous. He had never had the privilege of watching over her while she slept before, but now that he had he was certain that he would never tire of doing so. He adored how her hand framed her face on her pillow. He adored how her eyelashes laid flat against her cheeks and he adored the simple blush that'd bloomed in her cheeks. She was the epitome of perfection and if he hadn't noticed that before he did now.

The two of them, like they had agreed, hadn't consummated their marriage after kissing all of their children goodnight and retiring to bed. Changing out of her wedding dress and into her negligee had been enough to leave Maria worn out and he had known that she had been in no fit state to make love. He hadn't minded in the slightest though. Holding her in his arms and sharing soft kisses with her until she had nodded off while talking had been more than enough for him. Besides, he wanted her to get as much rest as possible before they had to leave for the train station in about four hours.

It was rather a long train-ride to Paris and the last thing he wanted was for Maria to be dead on her feet the entire time.

When she shivered beside him and murmured in her sleep a short while later he pulled the quilt further over her before kissing her temple, a sigh of relief escaping him when she settled down beneath the quilt and slipped back off to sleep. 'Sweet dreams, my darling…' He whispered before lifting his hand to her face and stroking her cheek with his fingers.

He continued to watch over her for several minutes after that, but when he felt his eyes start to sting he realised that he needed to get some rest. He wasn't going to be the slightest bit of use to his bride in the morning if he was half-asleep. Being careful so that he didn't knock and disturb her, he laid himself down next to her before turning off the lamp that was sat on his bedside table and turning back to her. She must have sensed that he had started to settle down, however, because she shuffled closer to him beneath the quilt before kissing his chest and wrapping her arms around his middle.

'G'night, Georg…' She mumbled while pressing her face into his throat.

He chuckled while running a hand along the length of her spine through her negligee. 'Goodnight, Maria.'

Within moments her snores were filling the air again and her gentle breaths were puffing against his throat as she held him tight to her. He laid awake with her in his arms for a short time, running his hands over her spine and nuzzling the occasional kiss into her hair, but soon enough he started to feel the subtle pull of slumber and the thought of waking in a couple of hours' time with her in his arms made him smile. Tomorrow was the start of something new for them both.

It was the beginning of their new life together.

And he couldn't wait to find out just what life had in store for them…

* * *

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this rather long one shot, it means the world to me that people like my stories! If you have the time, please leave a review to let me know what you thought of it and I'll see you all soon :) **


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